Say good-bye to holiday eating guilt. Associate the holidays with fun-filled moments, bonding with friends & family, and relishing food and relaxation. Here's how:
1. Choose your priority foods. Focus on the foods that you and your family consider essential to a particular holiday. Consider additional food excessive. If something not a priority food, no one is going to miss it, so no need to bother serving it. Relish the calories from your holiday food favorites.
2. Prioritize food preparation. Prepare the least tempting foods in advance, since you will be exposed to these foods for a longer period of time. Save the preparation of the most tempting (indulging) foods for last. This way, they won't be hanging out in your refrigerator for too long, calling your name. 3. Plan fun activities to distract from an all-day eating fest. Bring out picture albums and slides; play card games, ping-pong, volleyball, or basketball; or go for a walk. Perhaps you can make a new family tradition of taking a walk between dinner and dessert, to fit some calorie burning time into the feasting mix.
4. Clear away environmental food cues. In other words, instead of leaving food scattered around on counters and tables for continuous consumption, store food in the refrigerator and pantry after each meal.
5. Plan relaxation time for yourself. Consider vacation time to be concentrated self-care time. Enjoy the time away from your regular routine; read, work on hobbies, and indulge in non-food related pleasures. 6. Consider your time with loved ones. Give your time and attention to having conversations with your friends and family, rather to preparing food. Don't make food the focal point of holiday gathering.
7. Take a power nap instead of going for a snack when you feel fatigued.
8. Continue with your exercise program throughout the holidays. Schedule in your daily hour of MOVING time. Go ahead and split up your hour into intervals of 15 or 30 minutes if that is a more realistic plan. 9. Pre-plan meals and snacks to prevent going for high fat foods when you are out and about. Bring your Rescue Me, trail mix, or some Organic Liaison snacks with you instead, so that you don't rely on vending machines and fast food. 10. Plan for leftovers. If you're hosting a holiday event, try to be realistic about how much food you will need for the number of guests you invite. If you do have snacks still left over at the end of the party, try sending some home with your guests - particularly if you know those foods are personal trigger foods (foods you can't resist). 11. Extend your leftovers. When it comes to saving leftovers for yourself, feel at ease that you do not have to overload on them all at once. Instead, avoid temptation by keeping this mindset: "It's great to have extra delicious food to enjoy throughout the week." 12. Fit in treats. It's OK to eat treats - they are part of the Organic Liaison plan. The key is balance. The best way to fit a dessert into your meal is: eat a palm-sized helping of turkey, a lot of organic veggies (a large salad and some steamed vegetables) and a slice of pumpkin pie. If the pie is more of a priority food than yams, choose the pie as your source of carbs. Fitting desserts into your plan while staying within your recommended calorie prescription promotes a healthy relationship with food and helps you stay on-track long-term.
13. Befriend eating the portion sizes that are appropriate for you. Stay within your recommended calorie plan by eating small meals and snacking throughout the day, in appropriate amounts, leading up to your big holiday dinner. The misleading recommendation to eat nothing all day in order to save calorie space for the big holiday meal is an unhealthy diet myth; this behavior actually causes more body fat gain. Bottom line: Whenever we overload, more fat is stored in our bodies. An essential tip to prevent weight gain is to eat throughout the day, so that you approach the table calmly hungry instead of dangerously starved!
Essentially, to stay lean and healthy during the holidays without sacrificing enjoyment, make spending time with your friends and family and having fun (which includes MOVING, e.g., dancing, going on walks, etc.) your biggest priority! When you're eating holiday meals, ask yourself: What is the priority food that I want to have? Enjoy it with some protein (in a palm-sized portion) and some organic vegetables. Always savor your food by eating slowly, then walk away from the table before your tummy starts to hurt from fullness!
Deborah is the Health Director for Organic Liaison, has been a Registered Dietitian for over 16 years, counseling clients on nutrition and fitness, and is the author of 200 Superfoods That Will Save Your Life published by McGraw-Hill, Inc. Her mission is to educate Organic Liaison members to achieve optimal wellness through balanced eating and exercise. For more on Deborah - click here.
To contact Deborah, reach her directly at Phitter, a free health, diet, and weight-loss micro-blogging community, focused on getting 'phit.' Register for free, then send a phit to "olhealthdirector"
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scattered around on counters and tables for continuous consumption, store food in the refrigerator and pantry after each meal.
Deborah is the Health Director for Organic Liaison, has been a Registered Dietitian for over 16 years, counseling clients on nutrition and fitness, and is the author of 200 Superfoods That Will Save Your Life published by McGraw-Hill, Inc. Her mission is to educate Organic Liaison members to achieve optimal wellness through balanced eating and exercise. For more on Deborah -
